Close friends Kim Yong-bin and Chu Hyuk-jin bonded over their shared experiences of overcoming hardship.
In the May 1st episode of KBS 2TV’s ‘Fun-staurant’, Kim Yong-bin invited his same-age best friend Chu Hyuk-jin to his home. While enjoying a home-cooked meal, the two looked back on the difficult times they faced.
Chu Hyuk-jin arrived with about 1 million won worth of Hanwoo and pork, showing off impressive grilling skills worthy of someone whose father runs a meat restaurant. Confident in his abilities, Chu Hyuk-jin impressed Kim Yong-bin, who admitted, “This is the most delicious meat I’ve ever had.”
Feeling satisfied with the meal, Chu Hyuk-jin opened up about his past. “Was it my early 20s? I started pursuing my dream of becoming a singer late, and since I had no money, I would buy a single convenience store lunchbox and divide it exactly into three portions with a spoon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was truly difficult, but I think I endured it well,” he shared, comforting himself.
Chu Hyuk-jin then asked, “You struggled a lot in Japan too, right? Don’t you remember?” Kim Yong-bin recalled, “I think it was very hard back then. I took the GED after middle school and moved to Japan immediately.”
Kim Yong-bin previously confessed, “After moving to Japan, I hit puberty and my voice changed. Because my throat wasn’t in a condition to sing, I suffered from panic disorder. For seven years, I couldn’t do much and just stayed at home.”
He added a positive perspective, saying, “In 2009, when I was in Japan, the yen was at its peak. I spent a year unable to eat the things I wanted. I believe those experiences have served as valuable lessons for my life as a singer.”
After sharing their emotional pasts, the two hugged and comforted each other, saying, “You’ve worked hard.” Chu Hyuk-jin then jokingly resolved, “So, did you buy stocks or not? Let’s become ‘blue-chip stocks’ as singers, just like Samsung Electronics and Hynix!”
